Dutch Queen arrives amid controversy
Dutch Queen arrives amid controversy
JAKARTA (JP): Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is scheduled to
arrive here today for an 11-day visit set to be marked by
controversy in her country over whether the Dutch nation should
apologize for its colonial rule over Indonesia and recognize 1945
as the birth of the Indonesian state.
Beatrix and her husband, Prince Claus, will touch down at
Halim Perdanakusuma airport this morning where she will be met by
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Jakarta
Governor Soerjadi Sudirdja.
She will then be taken to Merdeka Palace where she will be
greeted by President Soeharto and accorded a 21-gun salute.
Beatrix's arrival will be the first visit by a Dutch Queen
since her mother, Queen Juliana, came here in 1971.
Beatrix was crowned as Queen in 1980 at the age of 42.
Her visit was initially planned to coincide with the Aug. 17
independence celebrations. However, it was postponed after strong
protests by Dutch veterans who fought here after World War II in
an attempt to restore colonial rule.
Indonesia was a Dutch colony for nearly 350 years, proclaiming
independence in 1945.
Despite the proclamation, the Dutch government at the time
attempted to re-establish its rule and it was not until 1948 that
the Netherlands recognized Indonesian sovereignty.
Apart from visiting the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery, later today
Beatrix will lay a wreath at the Menteng Pulo Cemetery, where
many Dutch soldiers are buried.
Tomorrow she will tour the Indonesia in Miniature Park and
attend the Indonesian Products Exhibition, both in Jakarta.
In the evening she is scheduled to meet with members of the
Dutch community here in Jakarta at a reception at the residence
of Dutch Ambassador Paul E. Brouwer on Jl. Diponegoro, Central
Jakarta.
It is hoped that her visit will further enhance relations
between Indonesia and the Netherlands, particularly in the
business sector. Relations turned sour in 1992 after Indonesia
expelled Dutch aid providers because of perceived interference in
Jakarta's domestic affairs.
The queen is being accompanied by a delegation of more than 20
Dutch businessmen.
On Wednesday Beatrix will leave Jakarta and travel to
Surabaya, East Java.
She will then continue to Yogyakarta, where she will visit the
famous Borobudur and Prambanan temples, as well as several
villages in the area.
Before leaving Indonesia on Aug. 31, Beatrix will also visit
Manado, North Sulawesi; Balikpapan, East Kalimantan; and Padang,
West Sumatra. (mds)